U.S.-based company Northrop Grumman provides domestic microelectronics to collaborative businesses

In a significant move for the US defense industry, Northrop Grumman has announced that it is providing partners with unprecedented access to design, develop, and purchase domestic chips. This decision is part of a years-long push by the Pentagon to wean the US defense industry off Asian suppliers, a push that has gained momentum in recent years.

The opening up of Northrop's electronics is particularly noteworthy, as it involves the integration of different types of tiny chips together to form a single "electronics package." This technically challenging process, known as "packaging," is crucial for the smooth functioning of complex electronic systems.

Northrop Grumman's facilities, located in Linthicum, Maryland, Apopka, Florida, and Redondo Beach, California, are capable of manufacturing standard components as well as designing, testing, and building custom circuitry. The Florida facility, in particular, focuses on "advanced packaging" in microelectronics.

The California and Maryland sites of Northrop Grumman are semiconductor foundries with US government accreditation, ensuring they are secure against supply chain threats. This accreditation is crucial, as the Defense Department supports only trusted foundries that are officially certified as secure.

The Defense Department's support for domestic microelectronics manufacturing is further bolstered by the CHIPS Act, which provides funding for defense-specific microelectronics. This act, largely administered by the Commerce Department, aims to help revive US high-tech manufacturing after decades of offshoring.

The aerospace and defense companies that have already acquired microelectronics components from Northrop Grumman include Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies. Vern Boyle, VP of the Northrop Grumman Microelectronics Center, oversees all three sites and has stated that Northrop Grumman is helping to expand and strengthen the resilience of America's semiconductor industry and supply chain.

It's worth noting that nearly one in 10 'Tier 1' subcontractors to defense primes are Chinese firms, according to a recent report. This underscores the importance of Northrop Grumman's decision to sell microelectronics components made in government-certified facilities on US soil to aerospace and defense companies.

In conclusion, Northrop Grumman's decision to open its defense-grade microelectronics manufacturing to partners is a significant step towards weaning the US defense industry off Asian suppliers and strengthening the resilience of America's semiconductor industry and supply chain.